Fresh , locally-produced Connecticut ice cream will soon be in yourgrocer’s freezer . The Farmer’s Cow , a group of six Connecticut familyowned dairy farms , is expanding its line of products to include ice cream . The first pints should be available in spring 2010 , and the new product opens up new possibilities to the three-year-old organization , which aims to educate the public about the process behind the practice of Connecticut dairy farming .

“ It’s a natural transition for us and comes after we received a lot of requests , ” said Robin Chesmer , owner of Graywall Farms in Lebanon .

Founded at a time of challenge and change for the agriculture and farming industries in Connecticut , particularly as dairy has faced increased competition from large national and regional companies , a mission of The Farmer’s Cow has been to draw attention to local dairy farms themselves and the people behind them .

“ The Farmer’s Cow needs to create more opportunities in order to sell more of our milk . Expanding our product line is a long-term investment in creating more options for our farms . The bottom line is that we have to sell more milk , ” Chesmer said .

Throughout the summer , The Farmer’s Cow has had a presence at regional farmer’s markets , including in New Milford , Coventry , Lebanon and New Haven , where customers have been able to ask questions directly to the farmers who made the product .

“ We try to connect to the marketplace and invite the public to come for a tour of our farms to see how their milk is made , ” Chesmer said .

The organization’s product line is growing . Half and half was added in 2009 , and heavy cream is set to launch in November . Apple cider was offered , for the first time , this fall . The ice cream will launch as a premium product at supermarkets and grocery stores , but The Farmer’s Cow is exploring partnerships with local schools and hospitals who may be interested in offering smaller sizes of ice cream .

A recent survey conducted by The Farmer’s Cow gave insight into the variety of flavors that customers would like . In addition to vanilla , chocolate and strawberry , they included coffee , blueberry , mint chocolate chip , cherry vanilla , cookies and cream , raspberry , peanut butter , maple walnut , chocolate chip cookie dough and butter pecan .